# Birth Control: IUD vs Arm Impant



## Cindaaayduh (Jun 18, 2013)

Hello Ladies, 

I was wondering if anyone is on or has tried either the Mirena IUD or the Nexplanon (formerly known as Implanon)? My doctor has recommend them both to me. I have read some reviews and they honestly scare me. So I was curious to know about your stories. 

PLEASE don't hold anything back.


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## amandah (Jun 18, 2013)

I have the mirena. August will be a year that I have had it in. There are some things I don't like about it, the hormonal change made me gain a little weight (i'm sure if i was more active, this wouldn't be an issue), i don't get a period anymore which is good, but i still get some of the symptoms (bloating, crampy earlier on, not so much more anymore though). Overall i like it. I know some people who have had different experiences, but i like it.


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## Annelle (Jun 19, 2013)

I had Mirena, too.

Insertion was really bad for me. Like reallly bad.  She tried about 3 times and finally had to dilate me to get it in, and I bled and cramped for about a full month long.

After that though, if/when I would get a period, it would typically be for less than 24 hours (I'd have spotting, then maybe 12 hours of actual full "light" to "light-medium" flow? then maybe another 6-8 hours of light spotting again) and happened about once every 1-4 months.

I still got PMS, I actually had a lot of back acne for the first year.  It settled down a bit more after a year, but it was really annoying switching from something that had me with an absolutely flawless face to having acne all over my back.  Mirena is around $850ish and lasts 5 years, which comes to around under $15/month, if you want to compare to normal birth control prices.

I LOVED never having to remember it though.  migraine? flu? date? get too drunk and forget? work? party? vacation? You don't worry about accidentally missing it. I used to hate my cell phone alarm with a passion because it'd go off daily at the same time and nag me.

I had to get mine removed recently (I had it for 2.5 years...kind of screws up the price margin), but I liked having it when I had it.  But I got mine because of dysmennorhea and heavy bleeding (my "normal" cycle is around 10-16 days long with a minimum of 5-8 days of "need to have a tampon AND a pad and change them at least 3-4 times a day to avoid accidents" heavy flow) and it solved those issues like a miracle, without adding too much in terms of mood swings and it wasn't the worst acne I've had, and my face cleared up after a year of settling down, so it was mostly just on my back.

I believe the arm one is a lot stronger dose of hormones, and it wears off over time so it's stronger mood swings near the beginning, then lesser mood swings closer to the 3 months.  I've had strong reactions to some (acne and mood swings being the ones that make me need to switch brands) so a 3 month long stronger hormone scared me.


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## Cindaaayduh (Jun 20, 2013)

Thank you both for responding. I kept reading reviews about both and that was a bad idea. I just got more freaked out. I'm still hesitant, but I think I will try the Mirerna before I do the implant. It seems to be the better one of the options.


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## lilsxkitten (Jun 20, 2013)

Have you considered ParaGard?  I am very squeamish about IUD insertion (and removal) but Paragard would have been my ultimate preference because of the no-hormone aspect.

I have Implanon and I like it.  I have been using it for 3 years (recently had it replaced with another). I love not having to worry about pills. 

I haven't had kids and two Gynecologists had advised me against IUDs for risk of perforation of the uterus, but my current Gyne strongly recommends them.. can't tell you why though, I was set on re-insertion of Implanon and wasn't interested in hearing it.   I work closely with Women's Health and I've seen patients who had Mirena inserted request to have it removed 1-2 months after insertion because of irregular periods. 

For implanon, I did gain some weight, but my lifestyle choices likely are more to blame.  One of the biggest problems with it is the irregular periods.  The Dr. that inserted it kept emphasizing the irregular periods when I was being counseled on it and again before insertion.  They come and go whenever they want and they are generally longer than what they were when I was just on the pill.  They are really light though.  It's kinda like 2-3 weeks of spotting.  I usually only have to use a tampon for 3 days a month- if that.  For me it really isn't a big deal.  I didn't notice any difference from how I felt when it was first inserted to how I felt toward the end of the 3 years.  I have insurance, so it only cost me the copay, but I know it was about $850.


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## mauu (Jun 21, 2013)

I also had Mirena. Unfortunately it made my acne a lot worse so I had to have it removed.




It's an unfortunate side effect that happens to some people. I also didn't get my period while I had it, which was both extremely convenient and totally nerve-wracking at the same time.

I've now switched to a Flexi-T (copper IUD), which has been _a lot_ better for me. Still, I'd much rather try an IUD than an implant because of the lower dose of hormones. If you're in the US, there's also a new hormone IUD on the market called Skyla, which has even less hormones than Mirena. The downside is that it's only three years as compared to five with Mirena. If I have to have my copper IUD removed for some reason, I'm going to give Skyla a try.


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## Annelle (Jun 22, 2013)

> Originally Posted by *lilsxkitten* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Have you considered ParaGard?  I am very squeamish about IUD insertion (and removal) but Paragard would have been my ultimate preference because of the no-hormone aspect.
> 
> I work closely with Women's Health and I've seen patients who had Mirena inserted request to have it removed 1-2 months after insertion because of irregular periods.


 I know that I was specifically recommended against ParaGard, but that's because of the reasons I needed the IUD (dysmennorhea and heavy bleeding) -- the hormones is actually what causes the period to stop, which was exactly what I needed it for.  ParaGard should not have any affect on your natural, regular cycle, since it does not have any hormones, which some women, as yourself, may prefer.

I'm surprised those doctors were ok to remove Mirena after only 1-2 months, since most doctors recommend a 3 month trial period for all birth control, even the pill.  Plus, it's a huge expense down the drain if you only use it for 1 month of birth control.  Personally, it took about 6 months for my cycle to "normalize" (6-24 hour period every 1-4 months) as I bled for a full month straight, about medium or light flow, after having Mirena inserted.  Then a month later, I had another longer period (albeit these were much lighter flows than my normal flow).

It took me about a full year before the rest of my body was fully adjusted (at this point, I'm going based on when my acne started to settle down...it was coming in waves and fairly strong for the first 6-8 months on my back, but it was much milder overall my 2nd year.)

After I had Mirena removed, I had a 2 week long very heavy flow, but my natural flow is typically very heavy and 2 weeks was not unexpected before I started birth control, so it wasn't surprising to my doctor.  I figured my body was making up for nearly 2.5 years of virtually no bleeding lol.


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## lilsxkitten (Jun 22, 2013)

> Originally Posted by *Annelle* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Quote: Originally Posted by *lilsxkitten* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> ...


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## Jaydeetc (Jul 3, 2013)

Hi, I had the Implanon, and now have the Nexplanon.

The insertion of the implanon wasn't the nicest thing ever, but not painful. They numbed my arm, and injected it into me. I had not eaten before getting this done, and suffer from anxiety, so ended up feeling really faint, but more because I was so nervous rather than the pain!

After getting the Implanon, my arm was very tender for a few days but nothing I couldn't handle. I did end up bleeding for around 3-5 months (HORRIBLE!), so I had to go on the pill for 3 months to calm my period down, But I've had no trouble since. I had regular periods throughout having the implanon. It did make me gain weight, but not as much as when I was on the pill. 

Once my 3 years having the Implanon was up, I just popped to my local GP and she swapped it out for a Nexplanon. She numbed my arm (she gave me a double dose of the numbing injections 'cause she could see I was nervous). She made a little incision and pulled the old one out, and put the new one in, in its place. This did not hurt at all. I could feel her poking about, but had no pain.I ended up with a big bruise from this, and have a scar.

I rarely have periods now I have the Nexplanon, maybe once every 2-3 months? I don't mind this, but I know a-lot of people would hate it. I still get very minor cramps for about 1-2 days a month.

Only thing I will say is that they feel weird when you touch them through your arm. Squeamish people hate it!

I live in the UK, so I can't comment on how much it would cost you as it's free over here. 

My Nexplanon will need replaced September of next year, and I plan on sticking to it. I would never be able to remember the pill everyday. The implant has never failed me yet, so I feel it's a good form of contraceptive! Yay for no babies yet~


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